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–+ servings
Mixed berry jam in a jar with a spoon inside in front of a jar of peanut butter.

Small Batch Mixed Berry Jam (No Pectin)

By Tammy Spencer
Small Batch Mixed Berry Jam is an easy refrigerator jam made with fresh or frozen berries, sugar, and lemon juice - no pectin or canning required. This simple recipe makes about one cup, making it perfect when you want homemade jam without committing to a pantry full of jars. Bright, fruity, and ready in under an hour, it's delicious on toast, scones, biscuits, yogurt, and more!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Cooling Time30 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Servings: 16 tablespoons
Calories: 36kcal

Special Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (454 grams) mixed berries, fresh or frozen, see Recipe Notes
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, plus more as needed
  • 1 (1) lemon, zested and juiced

Instructions

  • Prep the berries: If you're using strawberries, hull and cut them into chunks. Place 1 pound mixed berries in a small saucepan and stir in ½ cup granulated sugar.
  • Zest and juice 1 lemon. Depending on its size, you'll have about 2½ tablespoons of juice and ½ teaspoon of zest. Stir in the lemon juice and zest to the berry mixture.
  • Cook the berries: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved. Keep the mixture at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, to keep the mixture from bubbling up.
    If desired, mash the berries as they cook using a potato masher or spoon.
  • Cook the mixture for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until it starts thickening (the amount of time will be based on how juicy the berries are).
  • Test for doneness: There are two ways you can see if the jam is done. One way is to use a digital thermometer to see if the jam has reached 218 to 221 °F. The other is to test the jam's thickness by seeing if it forms a gel on the back of a cool metal spoon (see the Recipe Notes for more details).
  • Remove the jam from the heat and adjust the sweetness if desired, keeping in mind that chilling dulls the overall sweetness level.
  • Adjust the jam's texture (optional): This homemade berry jam will be a bit chunky even if you've mashed the fruit during cooking.
    For a smoother jam texture: Use a food mill (using the coarse milling disc) or an immersion blender to smooth out the jam.
    For seedless jam: Use a food mill (using the fine milling disc) or a fine mesh strainer to strain the hot jam.
  • Pour the jam into a clean pint jar with a tight fitting lid. Allow the jam to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes (and no more than 2 hours for food safety reasons). Transfer the jam to the refrigerator to cool completely. The jam will thicken as it cools.
  • Storage instructions: Small batch berry jam made without pectin will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 weeks.
    To freeze, make sure to leave enough room at the top of the jar to allow the jam to expand. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using.
  • This recipe makes about 1 cup of homemade berry jam.

Recipe Notes

You can use any combinations of berries you like, such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries. Fresh is best, but you can also use frozen berries as well - just let them thaw and drain before cooking.
How to determine when the jam will form a gel, use the spoon test from Epicurious: Dip a cool metal spoon into the hot fruit. Immediately lift it out and away from the steam and turn it horizontally. At the beginning of the cooking process, the liquid will drip off in light, syrupy drops. Trying again a minute or two later, the drops will be heavier. The jam is done when the drops are very thick and two run together before falling off the spoon.
Variations: You can use 1 pound of fresh peaches or apricots (about 12 to 14 ounces [about 340 to 400 grams] after pitting), chopped into small chunks. Cook the same as above.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 0.4mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.1mg